Introduction to Tekla

Structures Basic training

February 14, 2005

Copyright 2005 Tekla Corporation

Contents

Introduction to Tekla Structures Basic Training ............................................................... 1

Overview..............................................................................................................................................1
1. Basic Modeling 1..............................................................................................................................1
2. System Components for Steel / System Components for Precast Concrete...................................2
3. Interactive Steel detailing / Interactive Precast Concrete Detailing ..................................................2
4. Custom Components for Steel / Custom Components for Precast Concrete...................................2
5. Basic Modeling 2..............................................................................................................................2
6. Profiles and Materials ......................................................................................................................3
7. Applied Steel Detailing / Applied Precast Concrete Detailing...........................................................3
Applied Steel Detailing...............................................................................................................3
Applied Concrete Detailing ........................................................................................................3
8. Numbering and Reports...................................................................................................................4
9. Template Editor................................................................................................................................4
10. Principles of Working with Drawings ..............................................................................................4
11. Assembly and Single-part Drawings / Cast Unit Drawings.............................................................5
Assembly and Single-part Drawings ..........................................................................................5
Cast Unit Drawings....................................................................................................................5
12. GA Drawings..................................................................................................................................5
13. Multi-drawing and Multinumbering .................................................................................................6
14. Project Manager.............................................................................................................................6
15. Collaboration..................................................................................................................................6
17. Analysis & Design ..........................................................................................................................6
How to use the training material...........................................................................................................7

Introduction to Tekla
Structures Basic Training

Overview
This training course will demonstrate how to create a 3D model of a building,
and produce drawings and reports from the model with Tekla Structures. The
training is divided into lessons, each of which covers a certain particular task
of in the design process and introduces the commands and functions required
to complete that particular task. Five lessons alternative versions for steel and
precast concrete detailing.
The training workflow is designed to resemble a real design project, and the
training model is taken from a real building project. The model is a paper
industry building, a de-inking plant, which is comprised of two blocks
model 1 and model 2. The substructures are made of reinforced concrete, and
the superstructures are modeled with both steel and concrete structures. Steel
bracing is used for stability along with a concrete staircase and concrete wall
panels (not modeled in the training).

1. Basic Modeling 1
This lesson introduces the basic modeling functions of Tekla Structures.
You will learn how to:

start a new structural 3D model

create grids (i.e. module lines)

create grid views

create concrete and steel parts.

INTRODUCTION TO TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING

Introduction to Tekla Structures Basic Training

2. System Components for Steel / System

Components for Precast Concrete
For lesson 2, there are alternative lessons for steel and precast concrete. This
lesson introduces the basics of creating connections in Tekla Structures.
You will learn how to:

create connections

work with connection parameters

save the parameters for later use

work with AutoDefaults, i.e. create rules to apply pre-defined connection properties
automatically.

3. Interactive Steel detailing / Interactive

Precast Concrete Detailing
For lesson 3, there are alternative lessons for steel and precast concrete. This
lesson introduces how to interactively create connections between parts.
You will learn how to:

explode system connections and modify connection objects (parts, welds, bolts, cuts)

create connection objects interactively.

4. Custom Components for Steel / Custom

Components for Precast Concrete
For lesson 4, there are alternative lessons for steel and precast concrete. This
lesson introduces user-defined connections and details, which are called
custom components.
You will learn how to:

define custom components

use custom components

edit custom components to make them adaptive and parametric.

5. Basic Modeling 2
In this lesson we will recap the basic functions introduced in lesson 1, and
you will learn some more about the basic functions.
You will learn how to:
INTRODUCTION TO TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING
Introduction to Tekla Structures Basic Training

set up project information.

define numbering series for parts

work in true planes (sloped, skewed)

combine separate models.

6. Profiles and Materials

This lesson introduces profile, material and bolt libraries, called catalogs.
You will learn how to:

create a new profile cross-section with the Sketching tool and define a rule group for it

add a parametric profile to the profile catalog

add user-defined information to existing catalogs

add a new material type and a new grade to the material catalog

work with profile, material and bolt catalogs using user-defined profiles.

7. Applied Steel Detailing / Applied Precast

Concrete Detailing
For lesson 7, there are alternative lessons for steel and precast concrete.

Applied Steel Detailing

In this lesson we will use AutoConnection to automatically apply connections
to selected steel parts. With AutoConnection, Tekla Structures automatically
creates similar connections for similar framing conditions. This lesson also
introduces several useful connections and connection macros for steel
structures.
You will learn how to:

create connections with AutoConnection

work with AutoConnection rules

use AutoConnection and AutoDefaults rules to create your own standards for projectspecific or company-specific needs

use connections and macros specific for steel structures.

Applied Concrete Detailing

In this lesson we will add reinforcement and cast-in components to concrete
structures. We will also connect concrete parts both manually and with the
AutoConnection tool by using connections and macros specific for concrete
structures.

INTRODUCTION TO TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING

Introduction to Tekla Structures Basic Training

You will learn how to:

create reinforcement interactively

create reinforcement using macros

create connections manually and with AutoConnection

work with AutoConnection rules

use AutoConnection and AutoDefault rules to create your own standards for projectspecific or company-specific needs

use connections and macros specific for concrete structures.

8. Numbering and Reports

This lesson introduces the principles of numbering the model in Tekla
Structures.
You will learn:

the possibilities options for numbering your model

how changes during a project affect the model

to use report templates.

9. Template Editor
This lesson introduces the new template editor tool in Tekla Structures.
You will learn:

to create a new template from scratch

to convert old templates to new format

to convert an AutoCAD or MicroStation file into a template.

10. Principles of Working with Drawings

This lesson introduces the principles of working with drawings in Tekla
Structures.
You will learn:

the integration between the drawings and the model

how to create a GA drawing

the drawing types available in Tekla Structures

the basics of the drawing list

the various levels of editing drawings

the basics of drawing objects and layout

how to plot drawings

INTRODUCTION TO TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING
Introduction to Tekla Structures Basic Training

the basics of controlling drawing revisions.

11. Assembly and Single-part Drawings /

Cast Unit Drawings
For lesson 11, there are alternative lessons for steel and precast concrete:
Assembly and single-part drawings for steel, and cast unit drawings for
precast concrete.

Assembly and Single-part Drawings

This lesson introduces assembly and single-part drawings.
You will learn how to:

create single-part and assembly drawings by using drawing wizards

create single-part and assembly drawings manually

update and modify existing drawings

clone drawings

use the drawing classifier functionality.

Cast Unit Drawings

This lesson introduces cast unit drawings.
You will learn how to:

create cast unit drawings

update and modify existing drawings

use the drawing classifier functionality.

12. GA Drawings
In this lesson we will look more closely to at the features of general
arrangement (GA) drawings.
You will learn how to:

update and modify GA drawings

add details, text and DWG files to GA drawings

use the drawing classifier functionality.

INTRODUCTION TO TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING

Introduction to Tekla Structures Basic Training

13. Multi-drawing and Multinumbering

This lesson introduces multi-drawings and explains the principles of multinumbering.
You will learn how to

create multi-drawings

collect multiple assembly or single-part drawings to one multi-drawing sheet

apply multi-numbering to multi-drawings

update and modify multi-drawings.

14. Project Manager

This lesson introduces functions specific for the Project Manager
configuration of Tekla Structures.
You will learn how to

create views and move around in the model

use the 4D tool

import data

create lots and sequences.

15. Collaboration
This lesson introduces the ways to share model information in the design
team and between project participants.
You will learn how to:

use reference objects

use Tekla Structures in multi-user mode.

17. Analysis & Design

This lesson introduces the basic functions of Analysis and Design.
You will learn how to:

create and manage loads and load groups

make load combinations

create the analysis model

run the analysis and view the results

modify the model and re-run the analysis

INTRODUCTION TO TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING

Introduction to Tekla Structures Basic Training

check the load bearing capacity of structures

optimize structures.

How to use the training material

All the lessons in this training material deal with the same project (except the
Analysis & Design lesson). Therefore you should go through the lessons in
numerical order.
Each lesson starts with a short introduction to its contents. All lessons are
comprised mainly of step-by-step instructions, which are complemented by
background and additional information. The label titles in the left side margin
are an indication that you will be asked to do something. Pictures of the
dialog boxes and of the model help you to visualize the instructions and show
the desired result.
The necessary background data is given either by the teacher (in training
courses) or through links to the Tekla Structures online help. If you cannot
attend a training course, the links provide you with the information you need
to complete the course by yourself. These links give you the related
information quickly and easily, and enable the usage of this training material
also for self-learning. The online help will assist you in getting the most from
this course. Note that with the assistance of online help you will learn to use
Tekla Structures as efficiently as possible from the very beginning.
See the figure below for an example of the step-by-step instructions and an
online help link.

INTRODUCTION TO TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING

Introduction to Tekla Structures Basic Training

The aim of this training material is to teach you best practices, the most
efficient way to use Tekla Structures. However, the aim is also to introduce
alternative methods to carry out tasks. This means that repeated tasks are
occasionally carried out with using different procedures than those presented
earlier in the lessons.

INTRODUCTION TO TEKLA STRUCTURES BASIC TRAINING

Introduction to Tekla Structures Basic Training